Aggregate dewatering device and method

ABSTRACT

A dewatering device for aggregate product can be used to retro-fit existing aggregate product dewatering facilities in order to more efficiently capture product. The dewatering device can be movable to allow for the portability of the device relative to existing dewatering facilities. The device is adapted to receive a slurry of aggregate product and water and to vibrate to dry the aggregate product. A recycle system is included to receive any fines that may otherwise be lost by the system. The recycle system captures the fines and redirects them back towards the vibrating process of the vibrating device to direct them towards an exit of the vibrating device in order to use said fines as well as the other dewatered aggregate product. The portability of the device allows the device to be used with the existing facilities without the need to completely replace existing components for dewatering aggregate product.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Continuation Application of U.S. Ser. No. 14/632,747, filedFeb. 26, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to dewatering aggregate products, suchas sand, gravel, ore, or minerals. More particularly, but notexclusively, the invention relates to a retro-fit device, which can beportable or stationary, for use with existing dewatering devices toincrease the dewatering of the product while also minimizing powerinput.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the processing and handling of aggregate materials such as sand,gravel or crushed stone, as well as in related industrial materials likecoal, slag, iron ore, phosphate, potash, primary metal and relatedchemical industries, it is necessary to utilize relatively largequantities of water or other liquids in conjunction with or as adispersing medium for finely sized solid particles produced in therespective grading, concentration or other process. At some point in theprocess, it is usually necessary to subsequently effect a separation ordewatering of these fine solid materials from the slurry containingthem.

One method of dewatering fine granular material prior to disposing ofthe waste water or other liquid has been to subject the mixture tosuitable dewatering devices. The most widely employed method fordewatering in the mineral aggregates industry is an inclined screwdehydrator, which slowly moves the solid material up the incline of thescrew thread out of a feed basin permitting back flow of the water towaste. However, such equipment has limited water handling capacity andis plagued by the loss of valuable fines that are carried away in theback flow.

Another technique involves the use of centrifugal force to remove thefree moisture. However, the high cost, high power consumption, and wearcharacteristics associated with such a centrifuge apparatus haveprevented the wide use of that technique on a commercial basis forhandling abrasive materials. Similarly, the use of pressure or vacuumfilters has not been commercially attractive, particularly for the sandand gravel and crushed stone industries.

Another common technique employed for dewatering fine particle slurriesis the use of vibrating dewatering screens. The deck of these screenshas often taken the form of finely woven wire cloth through whichmaterial may pass. Some have in recent times used urethane decks withsmall openings for water to pass. However the typical horsepowerconsumption of a dewatering screen system is high. Moisture content mayvary by particle size and mineral composition.

Furthermore, many of these machines used to dewater the aggregateproduct are expensive and already in place. It is not cost effective toreplace entire systems with systems such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 8,695,804, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

As such, there is a need in the art for a drop in or retro-fit unit thatcan be used with one or more of the existing machines to provide for adewatering device and recycle device to dry aggregate product and torecycle fine materials that may pass unwanted through a vibrating screenor other drying member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object, feature, and/or advantage of theinvention to overcome or improve deficiencies in the art.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the invention toprovide a drop in or retro-fit dewatering device capable of being usedwith existing dewatering systems to retro-fit said systems for greaterefficiency in capturing fine materials.

It is still another object, feature, and/or advantage of the inventionto provide a dewatering device that can be moved on skids, wheels, orother members.

It is yet another object, feature, and/or advantage of the invention toprovide a dewatering device that can work with an existing screwconveyor to decrease moisture level of aggregate material with minimumpower consumption.

It is a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the invention toprovide a dewatering device with a recycle system to capture a higheramount of dried aggregate product.

These and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The presentinvention is not to be limited to or by these objects, features andadvantages. No single embodiment need provide each and every object,feature, or advantage.

According to some aspects of the invention, a dewatering device isprovided. The dewatering device can be used with existing dryingsystems, such as screw conveyor or other conveyors, to retro-fit thesystem to include components to increase the efficiency of thedewatering systems without greatly increasing power consumption.

The dewatering system includes a vibrating screen including a housingcomprising side walls. The housing receives aggregate product from theconveyor device. The screen is movable or otherwise vibrating, such asin two directions. A vibrating system, such as motors, flywheels, orsome combination thereof, provides the movement to the screen. Thescreen allows water to pass but not product, which, when driedsufficiently, passes out an outlet of the housing. However, some finematerials may pass with the water through the screen.

A recycle system is positioned at least partially below the screen andincludes an underflume for receiving the fine materials and water. Theunderflume includes an aperture at a lowest point for directing thewater and fine materials. The mixture passes through the aperture andinto a hose or pipe where water is flowing to direct the mixture throughthe recycling system and back toward the vibrating screen, such as viathe conveyor, where it is re-dried and passed toward the outlet.

The dewatering system can be movable. Thus, wheels, skids, or othermovable members can be connected to supports for the system. The movablemembers allow the dewatering member to be portable and positioned inplace adjacent existing drying systems. Furthermore, the portability ofthe system allows it to be used with multiple drying systems dependingupon their location and need of use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a dewatering device according toaspects of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dewatering device.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the dewatering device.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a dewatering device according toadditional aspects of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic of the dewatering device in use with ascrew conveyor.

FIG. 6 is a sectional schematic view of the dewatering device in usewith the screw conveyor.

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detailwith reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsrepresent like parts throughout the several views. Reference to variousembodiments does not limit the scope of the invention. Figuresrepresented herein are not limitations to the various embodimentsaccording to the invention and are presented for exemplary illustrationof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The various figures herein disclosed include aspects of a dewateringdevice 10 according to aspects of the invention. As will be understood,the dewatering device 10 of the invention provides numerous advantagesover the current art. For example, currently, entire systems are usedand put in place for dewatering aggregate product, such as sand, ore,gravel, and the like. These systems are expensive, massive, and can takea large amount of time to install. However, as they are beneficial inthe dewatering process, they are needed for the dewatering processes.For example, many of the conveyor systems, such as screw conveyors andthe like can move large amounts of aggregate product. In many instances,existing dewatering facilities have one or more types of dewateringdevices, which have been previously installed and are currently in use.However, some of these existing devices have been in use for many years,and do not include the most up-to-date technology for dewatering.Therefore, the dewatering device 10 of the invention provides for aunique and novel system for retrofitting many of the existing dewateringfacilities to increase the efficiency of the dewatering processes atsaid facilities, while minimizing the cost for the updating and alsominimizing the power required to run said facilities once the contentsof the invention have been included and retrofit to the existingfacilities.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a dewatering device 10 according toaspects of the invention. The dewatering device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is avibrating screen 12 type, which receives an amount of aggregate productand vibrates a screen 16 to remove liquid from said product. An exampleof such a vibrating screen is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No.8,695,804, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Itshould be appreciated that the dewatering device in the '804 patent is afixed-in-place dewatering device, which must be fully installed as anintegral unit.

Therefore, the dewatering device 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is a vibratingscreen 12. The vibrating screen 12 includes a housing 14, whichcomprises a plurality of walls defining an interior reservoir forreceiving an amount of aggregate product from a conveying device, suchas a screw conveyor. The vibrating screen 12 receives the aggregateproduct at an entrance 18 to which the aggregate product is added to thescreen 16 itself. The screen 16 is a vibratory screen in which thescreen is movable in at least two directions to vibrate the aggregateproduct thereon. For example, the screen 16 may be a urethane deck withone-quarter millimeter apertures to allow the screen to dewater a broadrange of particle sizes. The screen may cover a generally planar portionof the reservoir along with extending up at least portions of the wallsto increase the amount of area for dewatering the aggregate product.Depending on the application, the openings or apertures in the screencan be up to one millimeter. The deck of the vibrating screen 12 canhandle up to 14 inches of material depth, making use of a bottom layermaterial as filter media. However, the exact dimensions and capabilitiesof the screen are not to be limited to those precisely disclosed in theinvention, and variations to the same are to be included. Those skilledin the art will recognize that different types of screens will be ableto handle different types of materials for dewatering thereof.

As mentioned, the screen is a vibratory screen 16 which is movable inmore than one direction. The movement of the screen 16 allows for thedewatering of aggregate product applied thereto. A vibrating system 22may be included and operatively connected to the vibrating screen 16 toprovide movement thereof. FIG. 1 shows a vibrating system 22 comprisinga first and second motor 23, 24. The motors provide for horizontal andvertical movement of the screen with the product thereon. The motors canbe varied to increase vibratory intensity resulting in higher productionand drier product if desired. Springs 46, such as compression springs,are placed around the screen housing 14 to allow the movement of thevibrating screen 12 and to provide an opposing force to move the screenback to its original orientation. Therefore, as the motors are causingthe movement of the screen, the springs 46 will work with said motors toprovide for the continuous movement of the screen 16 to dewater theaggregate product applied thereon.

Furthermore, it should be appreciated that other types of vibratingsystems 22 could be utilized to move the screen 16 and/or screen housing14. For example, a flywheel could be operably connected to the housing14 in which the rotation of the flywheel is off centered such that itcauses movement of the screen 16 in more than one direction to providefor the dewatering of the aggregate product applied thereon. Still othertypes of vibrating systems 22 are contemplated including a combinationof flywheel and motor, flywheel, motor, cams, and/or springs, and thelike. Furthermore, any combination of said vibrating systems could beutilized to provide the movement of the aggregate product on the spring.

After the aggregate product has been vibrated on the screen, much of thewater will be allowed to pass through the screen apertures to an areabelow said screen 16. The product is then moved towards an exit 20 ofthe dewatering device 10, where it can be utilized in a substantiallydrier form. The exit 20 may include a chute, or other funnel-type memberto direct the dried or substantially dried aggregate product towards theexit of the dewatering device 10.

While the screen 16 is chosen such that water will pass while mostlyaggregate product will not, it is contemplated that fine materials 64(“fines”) may still pass through the screen 16. This is unwanted, as itis desired to capture as much aggregate product as possible by thedewatering system 10. Therefore, the dewatering device 10 of theinvention includes a recycle system 26 to capture any fine materialsthat may pass through the screen 16 and which would otherwise be lost.The recycle system 26 includes an underflume portion 28, which may alsobe a trailer or other reservoir type member. As shown in the figures,the underflume trailer 28 is shaped such that any water and/or finematerials passing therethrough will be directed towards a bottommostlocation of underflume 28 and towards an aperture 30 therethrough. See,e.g., the arrow 64 in FIG. 6. At the aperture 30 of the recycle system26, a hose connection 34 allows connection of a nozzle 36 and a waterfeed 32. The water feed 32 may be any existing water source that islocated at the facility or area of use of the dewatering device 10. Thewater source could also be a portable water source (not shown).

The nozzle 36 is shaped to increase the velocity of the water and finematerial slurry as it passes through the nozzle 36. This increasedvelocity of the slurry will aid in increasing the efficiency of therecycle system 26 to capture as much of the fine materials that arepassed therethrough. For example, the fine materials in water that passthrough the underflume 28 of the recycle system 26 are passed throughthe aperture 30 therein and into or towards the nozzle 36. The watercoming from the water feed 32 will reach the nozzle and mix with thefine materials passed therethrough to create a slurry. The slurry passesthrough the nozzle 36 such that the velocity of the fluid is increasedas the diameter of the nozzle decreases to aid in moving the slurrymixture in the orientation of the nozzle. The orientation of the nozzle36 is directed towards a return hose or pipe 38, which will pass theslurry mixture back towards the screen 16 of the dewatering device 10such that the fine materials of the slurry mixture will be re-vibratedand dried such that they are passed out the exit 20 of the dewateringdevice 10.

The recycling system 26 of the invention provides numerous advantages inthat it allows the capture of any fine materials that may pass throughthe apertures of the screen 16, and which would previously have beenlost or not utilized by the dewatering device. The continuously loopedsystem of the recycle system with the dewatering capabilities of thedewatering device 10 allows for a greater efficiency in capturing theamount of dried aggregate product by the dewatering device 10.

Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the dewatering device 10 ishoused on a support 40 when used with a conveyor system of a facility.The support 40, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, may include a plurality of wheels42 including axles connected to the wheels. The wheels 42 of thedewatering device 10 allow for the movement of the dewatering devicerelative to a fixed conveying system of an existing dry or dewateringsystem for aggregate product. Therefore, the wheels 42 allow for theportability of the dewatering device 10 such that it can be used withone or more existing conveying systems of aggregate product, whichprovides for the advantages of not requiring a complete install of asystem, such as that disclosed in the '804 patent, which can include ahigher cost.

For example, many aggregate dewatering facilities include the use of ascrew conveyor for dewatering the aggregate product. However, thesefacilities may want to include the use of a dewatering device, such asthat with a dewatering or vibrating screen and a recycle system in orderto increase the efficiency and amount of aggregate product dried ordewatered and captured using the system. As previously disclosed, usingonly incline screw dehydrators has limited watering handling capacityand is plagued by the loss of valuable fines that are carried away inthe backflow. Therefore, the use of a dewatering system, such as thatdisclosed in the dewatering device 10 of the invention can be utilized.However, instead of having to replace the entire screw dehydrator, adewatering device 10, such as that shown in the figures, can be utilizedto move said dewatering device 10 relative the exit of the screwdehydrator wherein the aggregate material moved by the screw will bedeposited into the dewatering device 10. This will greatly increase theefficiency of the facility, while maintaining a lower cost of includinghigher efficiency equipment without a full replacement of existingequipment. Once the dewatering device 10 is positioned adjacent thescrew dehydrator, additional supports can be included to maintain thetemporary fixed location of the device 10. The device can be used solelywith a single conveying means, or else can then be utilized withadditional conveyors that are used at the same or different facilities.However, it should be appreciated that, while the device 10 may beportable, it may also be fixed in place or stationary, but still able tobe used to retro-fit an existing facility, such as a facility with aconveyor, in order to provide a dewatering system that incorporates therecycling system of the device 10 to increase the efficiency of thesystem.

While FIGS. 1-3 disclose the use of a dewatering device 10 with wheels42 for providing portability thereof, it should be appreciated thatother systems and other devices can include additional ways for movementof the dewatering device. For example, FIG. 4 discloses a dewateringdevice 10 which includes skids 44, which make the dewatering device 10 amore stationary device. The rest of the components of the dewateringdevice 10 are similar to that previously disclosed and described.However, instead of moving the device with the wheels 42, the skids 44allow for the dewatering device to be stationary or fixed at a locationfor use with an existing conveying means of aggregate product, such as ascrew conveyor.

Still other types of support apparatus are intended to be included,which can allow the device to be portable or stationary, including thecombination wheels and skids, skis, tracks, and the like. In addition,the use of a hitch can be included to attach the dewatering device 10 toa vehicle in order to more easily move the device relative to one ormore of the existing dewatering systems.

Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that the wheels or other movementapparatuses can be removed from the dewatering device 10 once the device10 is in a location of use. Therefore, the device can be portable whenneeded, but can be more fixed in place or stationary when used with aconveying means, such as a screw conveyor of the type for use in movingaggregate product.

FIGS. 5 and 6 disclose the positioning and use of the dewatering device10 with a conveyor 50 of aggregate product, which is shown to be a screwconveyor 52 of the type known and used. As shown in the figures, theconveyor 50 includes a housing 54 which includes an entrance 60 forreceiving aggregate product 56. The aggregate product 56, which includesa water slurry, is added into the entrance 60 at the first end of thescrew conveyor 52. The screw 52, which includes a plurality of flights66, is powered by screw motor 68, which is shown to be at the exit end62 of the conveyor 50. However, the exact configuration of the conveyor50 is not to be limited to the invention, and generally any types ofconveyors can be used with the dewatering device 10 of the invention.

The aggregate product 56 included in the conveyor housing 54 is movedvia the flights 66 of the screw 52 towards the exit 62 thereof. Thescrew conveyor 50 will remove some of the water from the slurry product.At the exit 62 of the conveyor 50, the remaining slurry is deposited onto the screen 16 of the dewatering device 10 at the entrance 18 thereof.At this location, the motors or vibrating system 22 of the dewateringdevice 10 will cause movement of the screen 16. The movement of thescreen 16 in multiple directions will allow water or other liquids topass through the screen, while moving the at least partially dewateredaggregate product towards the exit 20 of the dewatering device 10.

However, fine materials 64 may still pass through the screen 16. Thesefine materials 64 can be captured by the recycling system 26 of thedewatering device 10, such as at the underflume trailer 28 thereof. Theshape of the underflume trailer, as shown by the arrow 64 in FIG. 6,will cause the fine materials and any water passing therethrough to bedirected towards an aperture 30 in the underflume trailer 28. The slurrymixture will pass through the aperture and will be mixed with water froma water feed 32 at a hose connection 34, where it is directed into anozzle 36 of the dewatering device 10. The nozzle 36 can increase thevelocity of the liquid slurry and pass the liquid slurry into a returnhose or pipe 38. The return hose or pipe will direct the slurry mixtureincluding any liquid and fine materials back towards the dewateringdevice 10, such as passing them back on or in the screw conveyor 50, asis shown in FIG. 6. The location of the return hose or pipe 38 will putthe fine material slurry at such a location where it will be depositedback into the vibrating screen 12 of the dewatering device 10. Thevibrating of the screen 16 will move the slurry and any additionalaggregate product towards the exit 20 for use thereof.

Therefore, the recycle system 26 of the dewatering device 10 can be usedwith an existing conveyor 50 such that a greater amount of aggregatematerial, including the fine materials, can be captured by the retro-fitdewatering system. In addition, as the dewatering device 10 is portable,it can be used with existing screw conveyors or other conveyor meanssuch that an entire dewatering system need not be replaced. Theportability of the dewatering device 10 of the invention can thereforeincrease efficiency while keeping installation cost at a minimum.

Those skilled in the art will recognize numerous advantages of thedewatering device 10 of the invention. The use of the dewatering devicecan achieve moisture content as low as 8% for a saleable product in lessthan a day. A deeper bed depth allows screens to remove more moisture.Aggressive throw allows for higher feed tonnage and faster dryingcycles. In addition, the urethane screen can include sidewalls foradditional dewatering along the sides of the bed.

As has been mentioned, the portability of the device will allow for thedevice to be used with existing facilities without the cost and time ofhaving to replace existing facilities, such as existing screw conveyorsthat are currently used for the dewatering of aggregate product. Theportable system can simply be moved to a location of use and positionedadjacent any existing facilities for use almost instantaneously. Inaddition, the amount of power consumption will be less than that whichis required for other types of dewatering devices. For example, it iscontemplated that the horse power required is reduced up to one-third ofthat currently required by existing dewatering devices.

However, the use of the device, even when not portable, such as thestationary device 10 shown in FIG. 4, will allow for the benefits of therecycle system to be retro-fit or otherwise added to existingfacilities. For example, a stationary system can be retro-fit to beindependent of but used with an existing facility to include the use ofthe recycling system of the device 10 to increase the amount ofaggregate product obtained from the system.

It should also be appreciated that the dewatering device can bemanipulated to be used with a wide range of sizes of conveyor ordewatering means. For example, the height of the dewatering device canbe varied according to the support members of the dewatering device 10.For example, it is contemplated that the dewatering device be includedwith a lift system, such as a hydraulic lift system in order to raise orlower the vibrating screen 12 relative to an existing conveyor means ata location of use. Furthermore, the height may not need to be variable,but the length of nozzle 36 and/or the length of hose or pipe used toconnect the nozzle to the conveyor means can also be used to adapt thedewatering device for use with different sizes of existing facilities.Still further adjustments may be made to the dewatering device to allowfor the near universal use of the dewatering device with any type ofexisting dewatering conveyor means or dewatering facility.

For example, while it is contemplated that the dewatering device 10 ofthe invention be used with conveyor systems such as existing screwdewatering conveyor means, it is also contemplated that the screen couldbe used with other types of dewatering means in which fine materials orthe overall efficiency of the dewatering systems is not ideal. Theretrofittability of the invention allows for the manipulation of thedevice 10 such that it could be adjusted and/or used with many differenttypes of dewatering systems that are currently in use. The device 10 ofthe invention will allow for the increased efficiency, while maintaininglow costs and also increasing efficiency of the dewatering process ofaggregate product.

Still other advantages obvious to those skilled in the art will beappreciated and included as part of the invention.

The foregoing description has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, and is not intended to be an exhaustivelist or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. It iscontemplated that other alternative processes, systems, and assembliesobvious to those skilled in the art are to be considered part of theinvention. For example, other types of screens, vibrating systems, andmovable components are to be included as part of the dewatering deviceof the invention. It is to be understood that invention includesnumerous advantages, as has been shown and described.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dewatering device for aggregate product, comprising: a vibrating screen for receiving aggregate product from a conveyor, the vibrating screen having an entrance disposed to receive aggregate product, said vibrating screen including a vibrating system to move said screen; a recycle system positioned at least partially below the vibrating screen to receive fine materials passed through the screen and to aid in directing the fine materials back to the entrance of the vibrating screen, wherein the recycle system comprises: a reservoir member disposed to receive fine materials passed through the screen; a redirection apparatus comprising: a first inlet, the first inlet disposed to receive fine materials from the reservoir member; and a second inlet, the second inlet configured to receive a fluid from outside the reservoir member.
 2. The dewatering device of claim 1, whereby the fluid carries fine materials received from the reservoir member back to the conveyor.
 3. The dewatering device of claim 2, wherein the conveyor comprises a portion of a drying system.
 4. The dewatering device of claim 2, wherein the conveyor comprises an inclined screw conveyor.
 5. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein said vibrating screen includes an exit for passing dewatered aggregate product.
 6. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein the vibrating system comprises one or more vibrating motors to linearly and horizontally move said vibrating screen.
 7. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein the vibrating system comprises a flywheel operatively connected to the vibrating screen to move said screen.
 8. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir member comprises an underflume having an aperture, wherein the recycle system comprises a conduit operatively connected to the underflume, the conduit directing the fine materials in the underflume to the conveyor.
 9. The dewatering device of claim 8, wherein the conduit is a hose for passing water and fine materials to the vibrating screen.
 10. The dewatering device of claim 9, wherein the hose is in communication with the conveyor for passing water and fine materials from the recycle system to the conveyor, wherein the conveyor conveys the fine materials to the vibrating screen.
 11. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein the redirection apparatus comprises a nozzle.
 12. The dewatering device of claim 11, wherein the redirection apparatus is configured to increase a velocity of the fluid and fine materials passing through the nozzle.
 13. The dewatering device of claim 11, wherein a diameter of the nozzle decreases along a direction of fluid travel through the nozzle.
 14. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein the redirection apparatus is in fluid communication with a conduit, wherein fines are directed from the redirection apparatus to the vibrating screen.
 15. The dewatering device of claim 1, whereby fine materials are redirected from below the vibrating screen to the entrance of the vibrating screen.
 16. The dewatering device of claim 1, wherein the redirection apparatus is in fluid communication with the conveyor.
 17. The dewatering device of claim 16, wherein the redirection apparatus communicates fluid from a first height lower than the vibrating screen to a second height, the second height being higher than the first height.
 18. The dewatering device of claim 17, wherein the conveyor conveys the fine materials to a third height, the third height being higher than a height of the entrance of the vibrating screen, whereby the fine material falls by gravity from the conveyor onto the vibrating screen.
 19. The dewatering device of claim 10, wherein the reservoir member has an outlet, and wherein the fine materials travel by gravity through the outlet and the first inlet into the redirection apparatus.
 20. The dewatering device of claim 10, wherein the second inlet is in fluid communication with a water feed.
 21. The dewatering device of claim 10, wherein the first inlet is configured to receive a slurry from the reservoir member, the slurry comprising water and the fine materials.
 22. A method of recycling fine materials through a vibrating screen, comprising: receiving a slurry comprising fine materials and water from a lower portion of a vibrating screen; receiving a fluid from a secondary fluid source; and at least partially using the fluid, transferring the fine materials to an entrance of the vibrating screen.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transferring the fine materials to an entrance of the vibrating screen further comprises: at least partially using the fluid, transferring the fine materials to a conveyor, the conveyor being configured to transfer the fine materials to the entrance of the vibrating screen.
 24. The method of claim 22, further comprising: forming a mixture of the fluid and the slurry; and increasing a velocity of the mixture.
 25. A method of recycling fine materials through a vibrating screen, comprising: receiving a downward-moving slurry comprising fine materials and water from a vibrating screen; redirecting the fine materials generally upward; increasing a velocity of the fine materials; and transferring the fine materials to an entrance of the vibrating screen.
 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising: receiving a fluid from a secondary fluid source; and carrying the fine materials using the fluid.
 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising: transferring the fine materials to a conveyor, the conveyor being configured to transfer the fine materials to the entrance of the vibrating screen.
 28. The method of claim 26, further comprising: transferring the fine materials to a conveyor, the conveyor being configured to transfer the fine materials to the entrance of the vibrating screen. 